Fruit-clipper.



No. 846,732. PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

T. H. DESHANE. I

FRUIT CLIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 20, 1905.

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FRUIT-CLIPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed October 20.1905. Serial No. 283,682.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, TnoMAs H. DESHANE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of'King and State of Washington, have in vented certain new and useful improvements in Fruit-Clippers, of which the following is;a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in clippers, particularly adapted for gathering grapes or other stemmed fruit; and the primary object thereof is to provide an improved construction of clippers or shears which can be operated with one hand to sever the stem of the fruit and then firmly hold the same after its stem has been severed.

With the above and other objects in view, to be referred to in the following description, the invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, showing the manner in which it is held for use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the lower jaw of the clipper and showing parts in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing more clearly the construction of the jaws at their hinged ends.

ln carrying out my invention I provide a pair of jaws 1, which are shaped to conform to the hand of the operator and are of such width as to provide broad external bearingsurfaces, and from the opposite edges of these bearing-surfaces curved lugs 2 project, thereby forming a groove or socket on the back of each jaw, one socket or groove being adapted to receive the thumb and the other the first finger of the hand of the operator, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Jaws 1 are increased in width at one end, at at 1, and provided with apertured lugs 3, the lugs of one: section being normally arranged between those of the other section, and a pintle 1 passes through the apertures of these lugs, whereby the two sections are securely hinged together.

In addition to the lugs 3 I provide one of the jaws with a rearwardlyextending rigid lug 5, which is adapted to engage the back in which I of the hand of the operator to the rear of his thumb. his .ug aside from serving to pre vent twisting of the device in the operators hand also alfords a convenient means to which the cord or other flexible means 6 can be attached. (lord 6 is passed around the wrist of the operator and then its free portion is caught in the catch 7 whereby the clipper is prevented from slipping forward.

Reference-numeral 8 indlcates the blades of the clipper, the same having at their outer edges lugs 9, through which suitable fastening means, as rivets 10 or the like pass for securing the blades to the jaws 1.

Each jaw has a spring 11 secured to its inner face, which springs have gripping portions 11 arranged adjacent the cutting edges of the blades 8 and inbent end portions 11, which serve to yieldingly resist any inward movement of the gripping portions 1 1. One of the end portions 11 is secured to the jaw 1, preferably by riveting, as shown, and the other is free and bears on the first-named end portion. (See Fig. 1.) By this constructionboth ends of the gripping portion 11 of a spring are connected with a spring means, shown as consisting of the end portions 11", and consequently inward movement of the respective gripping portions, as when a stem is gripped thereoetween, will be uniform. 'The gripping portions 11 are preferably curved in cross-section, so that Eloy will more firmly grip the stem of the uit.

By the construction shown and described the blades can be removed when worn, and, further, the device as an entirety is comparatively simple inconstruction, embracing but few parts, which are constructed so as to be easily manipulated and without danger of inflicting injury to the hand of the operator.

The blades are provided with apertured ears 12, through which the pintle 4 passes, said ears being arranged between adjacent lugs 3 of the respective jaws 1, (see Figs. 2 and 5,) whereby spreading of the cutting edges of the jaws is prevented.

While I have herein shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I reserve the right to make various alterations and changes in the details of construction thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, 1s-

1. A device of the type set forth comprising hinged jaws, cutter-blades secured to said jaws, and springs secured to said jaws, eacn spring consisting of a gripper portion and inturned end portions, one of which is secured to the adjacent jaw, the other of said end portions being free and bearing on said firstnamed end portions, the gripper portions of the springs being arranged adjacent the cutting edges of the blades, as specified.

2. A device of the type set forth comprising a pair of jaws increased in width at one end and provided with spaced-apart lugs pivoted together, blades secured to the inner I faces of said jaws, lugs spaced apart along the edges of the outer faces of said jaws, another lug formed integral with one jaw at the side edge portion thereof and extending hand of the operator, and a spring secured to each j aw, said springs having gripper portieiis which are curved in cross-section and inbent end portions one of which is free and bears on the other.

Signed at Seattle, lVashington, this 10th day of October, 1905.

THOMAS H. DESHANE. Witnesses:

G-Eo. R. TENNANT, ARLITA ADAMS rearwardly so as to engage the back of the. 

